Regional Research Director

REGIONAL RESEARCH DIRECTOR

World Business Chicago (WBC) is a public-private, non-profit partnership that drives inclusive economic growth and job creation, supports business and promotes Chicagoland as a leading global metropolitan area. WBC leads the Greater Chicagoland Economic Partnership (GCEP), a strategic collaboration among the seven counties of northeastern Illinois (Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, Will) and the City of Chicago to advance regional economic development.

The Research team provides cross-functional support to enhance WBC’s thought leadership in attracting, expanding, and retaining businesses, promoting Chicagoland as a global business destination, and designing and scaling initiatives for economic growth. The Research team supports GCEP by providing research services and advancing strategic research initiatives to the collective and individual county partners.

Regional Research Director

The Regional Research Director leads WBC’s regional research program, and is responsible for managing the Research team on key initiatives, requests for information, and data analysis and dissemination as related to GCEP. The Regional Research Director reports to the VP of Research. The individual:

• is dynamic, hard-working, and eager to proactively engage in an “all-hands-on-deck” small-team environment with strong technical data management and analysis skills;
• has a growth mindset, with a passion for applying research to drive economic development in Chicagoland through WBC’s mission and goals, and
• is an effective communicator, both in sharing insights to target audiences and building relationships with stakeholders throughout the region.

Job Responsibilities

• Provides advanced analytical support for WBC/GCEP’s economic development initiatives, including assembling, analyzing, and presenting data in presentations, research reports, and other materials;
• Builds and maintains a broad network of regional economic development practitioners and research partners;
• Initiates, leads, and manages strategic research projects and content production according to the Research Center’s publication strategy and GCEP initiatives (e.g. reports, lead generation strategies, industry profiles, social media campaigns, etc.;
• Completes requests for information from GCEP partners, internal teams, prospective companies, and other regional partner organizations;
• Develops and maintains digital platforms for sharing data insights;
• Develops and maintains a knowledge base of economic data and research relevant for Chicagoland (e.g. third-party reports on key industries, regional economic indicators, activity on business expansion and contraction, etc.) Routinely identifies challenges and opportunities in Chicagoland’s economic landscape;
• Manages the workflow and professional development of junior team members, as well as inter-department collaboration.

Skills & Experience Requirements

• Master’s degree in economics, urban planning, public policy or related field preferred;
• 5 years of relevant work experience including prior management or leadership experience. At least 2 years direct experience in economic development is preferred;
• Demonstrated cross-functional collaboration and communication skills, and creative approaches to problem solving with limited resources;
• Strong sense of organization, time management, and attention to detail;
• Analytical background and experience using diverse data sources for economic development research;
• Excellent overall computer proficiency or demonstrated ability to learn quickly, including experience with Microsoft Excel and Powerpoint, related economic development databases (e.g. US BLS, US Census, Lightcast, Moody’s, Pitchbook); mapping software (e.g. ArcGIS/Esri, Mapbox); data visualization software (e.g. PowerBI, Datawrapper, Venngage, Canva); CRMs (e.g. Salesforce); and/or statistical and data science languages (e.g. R, Python);
• Excellent writing and editing skills;
• Experience building relationships or working in a customer service environment;
• Familiarity with the Chicagoland area preferred;
• Must be willing to work on a hybrid schedule with 3 days in the office/2 days remote, with occasional travel throughout the Chicagoland region.

Salary/Benefits Information:

• Salary range: $75,000 - $95,000
• Benefits offered: Medical, Dental, Vision, Disability Insurance, 401 K, Life Insurance, Paid Time off, and Sick Time.
• World Business Chicago is an equal opportunity employer.